The Beatles - Great Band or Greatest band

originally posted by: Gothmog

originally posted by: putnam6
Timing is everything not sure if their wave of popularity could be recreated today. Greatest band probably not, but certainly their influence was wide spread and deep rooted. But they were a little before my time too, Im more of a Zeppelin guy that expands into a large variety of music. Cant forget the Blues and its foundation for lots of what are regarded as great bands now.

What helped the Beatles ?
They were all about Revolution and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Those that remember will understand.

LOL the Beatles were definitely heavily influenced if not totally inspired by the 60's sex drugs and rock and roll, tune out and turn on,the Vietnam war, civil rights, all the turmoil and assassinations, the Dali Lama all of it. I had older sisters LOL. We had one record player and whenever Mom and Dad would leave they would break out their albums from the Beatles to Black Sabbath. Master of Reality is still one of my favorite albums.

I've always wondered why Pete Best was fired? Could it have been a caveat to break into the American music scene? Or, even to get on the Ed Sullivan show?

Its one of those questions like "is Paul really dead?"

Who knows...

a reply to: watchandwait410

I don't think there is the greatest band ever, at least not to me. I just love a good tune.

originally posted by: Tarzan the apeman.
a reply to: watchandwait410

I don't think there is the greatest band ever, at least not to me. I just love a good tune.

Weeelllllllll...

a reply to: TrueBrit


Agree 100%.

a reply to: watchandwait410

For me Pink Floyd is.

a reply to: watchandwait410

I enjoy quite a few Beatles songs, from all of their various eras. They were an extremely talented band and they worked well together until Yoko Ono. In fact I blame her for the breakup.

I would put them in the top 5 of great bands...Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath and Rainbow; not in terms of album sales or whatever but in terms of the influence that they had on building the foundations of what we call "rock and roll" or just "rock." If you listen closely to the genre you can hear influences from any of these 5 bands in almost any song.

Were the Beatles the greatest? That's subjective. But were they great? Absolutely.

a reply to: intrepid

How about greatist BANDS ever.

I love Led Zeppelin and the Stones... their stuff is deeply rooted in the Blues which is the best music genre by far. I have heard several stories of Jimmy Page visiting Hazlehurst to visit the first God of modern music....Robert Johnson.

a reply to: putnam6

Black Sabbath - Now you have said a lot in 2 words...

originally posted by: oloufo
a reply to: watchandwait410

For me Pink Floyd is.

Being a kid in the 70's Ive went through having albums 8 tracks and cassettes to cd's and finally my Ipod. The first albums I got in each medium were my Floyd albums and my Zeppelin albums.

a reply to: kelbtalfenek


Sorry but for me Queen is probably in the top 5 if not the top, beatles are not even in the top 10

originally posted by: Gothmog
a reply to: putnam6

Black Sabbath - Now you have said a lot in 2 words...

Black Sabbath lol blew out my car speakers when Live Evil first came out. Black Sabbath they are my driving tunes, Deep Purple too.

All bands I love here. Anyone note they're all British?

a reply to: intrepid

I was just keeping with the Beatles theme, but I would put Lynard Skynard and Boston in my top5. Along with Zep, Pink Floyd and Aerosmith.

Great band. But I say no they aren't the greatest. In my opinion the greatest band though short-lived did have a beetle in it .

The Traveling Wilburys

originally posted by: lakenheath24
a reply to: intrepid

I was just keeping with the Beatles theme, but I would put Lynard Skynard and Boston in my top5. Along with Zep, Pink Floyd and Aerosmith.

Well Zep's the only one in mine. Floyd even doesn't make the cut.

I think I'm sort of on a different page to everyone else in this thread.

I have a truly eclectic taste in music and current favourites tend to change with moods and times.

But some remain constant;

1. The Clash.
2. John Lydon. (Combined PiL and The Sex Pistols).
3. The Who.
4. The Levellers.
5. The Doors.

Motorhead are contenders as are Oasis.
The Stone Roses haven't the volume of work to be considered.
As stated previously I love The Rolling Stones but most of the stuff since Exile on Main Street has been embarrassingly crap.
Stiff Little Fingers are a lifetime favourite of mine but I could hardly categorise as one the best 5 in the world.
Lots of other bands I could mention.....Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd et al would never get a mention.

There has never been a band that can rival Spinal Tap. "Ours go to eleven!"

originally posted by: TrueBrit


There were better musicians, better songwriters, and better bands to obsess over at the time and afterward,

does not change the fact that the beatles are one of the greatest and most influential bands of all time.
thats the great thing about music being subjective.

you say there were better musicians before and after and youre right. very rarely are the best musicians the most popular with people or on the top of the sales charts.

these high level musicians are often not well known at all unless youre a musician yourself or an obsessive freak. i am an obsessive freak.